Man faces child porn charges in Medway

MEDWAY - A Florida man, who police say had child pornography and an unlicensed gun, was held on $100,000 bail after he was arraigned on a litany of charges in Wrentham District Court following his arrest by Medway police on Wednesday.

According to police, the alleged crimes occurred in Medway.

Patrick Finnell, 66, of 7200 NW Second Ave., Apt. 57, Boca Raton, Florida, was charged with five counts each of possession of child pornography and posing a child in a state of nudity. He was also charged with enticement of a child, possession of an unlicensed gun, possession of a loaded gun, unlawful possession of ammunition and improperly securing a gun in the presence of a child.

According to a statement from Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Denise Doherty on file in Wrentham District Court, police first became aware of the photographs last Saturday when a friend of a Walgreen’s employee told police that the employee saw images of a naked child on a customer’s camera when he asked for help.

Doherty did not detail how they determined Finnell’s identity, but said a search warrant, obtained on Tuesday and executed on Wednesday, discovered a memory card that held five images of a child on a laptop found at an unspecified Medway address where Finnell was staying while visiting friends, the statement said.

According to the statement, the child told police the images were taken on Saturday at the child's Medway home.

Finnell admitted to taking the photos, police said, However, he told police the child "wanted to be a model so it was her idea to take the photographs," Doherty’s statement said.

Finnell also said he only took the pictures when the child told him to, according to the statement.

After searching the rest of the home, police also found a Taurus .357 magnum handgun in a briefcase, which was easily pried open, the statement read.

Police also found several rounds of ammunition, the statement said.

Medway Police Chief Allen Tingley said the investigation is still ongoing as police are looking for "additional information."

Judge Emogene Johnson Smith ordered that if Finnell posts bail, he will have to wear a GPS monitoring device and not have access to the Internet. Also, he cannot have contact with any child under the age of 16 or with the alleged victim or her family.

Finnell is due back in court on June 17 for a pre-trial hearing.

The state, Millis and Medway police departments all assisted in the investigation.

Zachary Comeau can be reached at 508-634-7556 and zcomeau@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @ZComeau_MDN.